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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24785449">anything for you (anything at all)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadWolfGirl3/pseuds/BadWolfGirl3'>BadWolfGirl3</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>ngymobblepot rewrites (nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you don’t belong) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Gotham (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Episode: s03e05 Anything for You, First Kiss, Four years since this episode aired and I’m hung up on it, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I’m so tired but this was worth it, Love Confessions, M/M, Nygmobblepot, Pining, Requited Love, my take on what could have (should have) happened, sue me, the HUG, you know which one</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:41:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,506</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24785449</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadWolfGirl3/pseuds/BadWolfGirl3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Oswald doesn’t quite know when he’d gotten in this deep.</p><p>(Kneeling on a stage with the man who’d just saved him gasping for breath in his arms might be a good start)</p><p>Although he’s lied to so many people, he’s always tried to be honest with himself. And the truth of the matter is this:</p><p>He is absolutely, head over heels, foolishly in love with Edward Nygma.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Oswald Cobblepot/Edward Nygma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>ngymobblepot rewrites (nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you don’t belong) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1826824</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>130</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>anything for you (anything at all)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Here’s the thing: I don’t even LIKE superhero comic book stuff. I watched Endgame without watching the other movies before it (and that’s not a joke- my sibling forced me to with begging and puppy eyes so I read a quick plot summary of like a couple of the movies and understood most of it). But I started watching this freaking show and now I’m obsessed, so I hope everyone’s happy. It’s 3:00 in the morning and I’m hung up on this ship and spent an hour writing what everyone and their mother has done and I don’t even care. Totally indulgent and totally like everything else I’ve written just with these idiots. Please enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Oswald doesn’t quite know when he’d gotten in this deep.</p><p>(Maybe it was kneeling on a stage clutching the man who’d just saved him, maybe sitting by a piano singing an old beloved song, maybe the body in the closet and the things they did to it, or maybe, just maybe, a cold winter’s night and an old trailer, and a chance second meeting he would always be thankful for).</p><p>Although he’s lied to so many people, he’s always tried to be honest with himself. And the truth of the matter is this:</p><p>He is absolutely, head over heels, foolishly in love with Edward Nygma.</p><p>(It feels like both a thousand paper cuts and sinking into a hot bath after a long day when he says it to himself).</p><p>The cup rattles and shakes a little in his hands as he hands it to Edward, stomach lurching at the sight of bright purple and red bruises marring his beautiful throat (blood <em>boils</em> as he thinks of every single way he could make Butch pay for what he did, thinks about every single way he could make him scream). His chief of staff takes it gently, and Oswald is left standing there, waiting, waiting, waiting, until finally he just sucks it up and sits down, close but never close enough.</p><p>(When he started scrutinizing every single move he makes around Ed, so self conscious of himself, he doesn’t know either)(how he craves the other man’s touch while everyone else’s feel like hot brands will always be a mystery).</p><p>“It’s ginger tea with honey”, he says. “It’s my mother’s remedy for a sore throat.” His eyes fall to Ed’s throat again, anger and worry clashing together inside him. He wants to take it all away, wishes he could take Ed’s discomfort and pain and put it on himself, wishes the other man could have found some other way instead of putting his life at stake, but so grateful for it anyway.</p><p>“You sure you don’t need a doctor?” He fiddled with his fingers as he says it, needing to do something with his hands that isn’t grabbing hold of his chief of staff and never letting him go.</p><p>“No, I’m fine.” As if to punctuate the words, Ed gives a little cough and takes a sip of tea. Oswald tries not to flinch visibly.</p><p>“I still don’t understand why you didn’t tell me what you were doing.” He’s not mad, never at Ed, just worried and maybe a little hurt, hurt that the man couldn’t come to him with this instead of going at it alone.</p><p>Ed puts down the cup. “Your shock when seeing Butch had to be genuine.” His gaze falls on him, and Oswald has never felt more exposed. He keeps darting from Edward’s eyes to his throat, over and over. “The people had to believe it. And they did. And once again, you’re the city’s hero.” He smiles, just a little, and a little chuckle falls from his lips (it’s all Oswald can do to keep himself from absolutely<em> melting</em>).</p><p>But there it is. His Edward (his, always his, because he is selfish and possessive and even if it’s only in his mind the former forensic scientist will always, always belong to him), smart and cunning and clever and always three steps ahead. Oswald knows that he would be truly lost without him (in so many ways).</p><p>A humorless laugh from him, nothing more than a breath of air past his lips. “But you were almost killed.” His stomach twists at the words.</p><p>“And you saved me… again.” He smiles, and Oswald can almost smile back, not quite there. Not quite believing the plan was worth it (what if he had been too late, what if there was no bottle, what if Butch hadn’t <em>stopped</em>?).</p><p>Ed coughs again. “I hope you know, Oswald… I would do anything for you. You can always count on me.” He says it so lightly. As if it doesn’t kill Oswald to hear it, doesn’t break down any remaining defenses he had around his heart, smooth out any calluses that had built up after the death of both his parents, the only people in the world who loved him. Doesn’t make him believe that maybe, maybe, Edward could<em> love him back.</em></p><p>And Oswald has a choice.</p><p>
  <em>Life only gives you one true love, Oswald… </em>
</p><p>A thousand tiny thoughts flit through his head all at once. Flashes of singing with Ed in his apartment, the scientist as his piano and Oswald at his side. All of Ed’s stupid, dumb riddles and the complete joy they bring him, and how Oswald loves them too, even though he’d never admit it. Waking up from a painful sleep to eager brown eyes and a wide, slightly maniacal grin. A tiny little origami penguin resting on his nightstand. Every little thing he’s learned about Ed and all the things he <em>wants</em> to learn about Ed.</p><p>
  <em> When you find it, run to it…</em>
</p><p>He’s teetering on a ledge, standing at a crossroads. Does he take a step forward, or fall back to safety and a life <em>alone?</em></p><p>(The choice has already been made)(Maybe it’s always been coming to this).</p><p>Oswald leans forward, stomach twisting and squeezing as he realizes that <em>he’s really doing this,</em> and plants his lips on Edward’s.</p><p>It’s quick. Too quick, just a chaste peck, really, but all of it suddenly catches up to him, Ed’s stillness, how he’s tensing up, and <em>God,</em> this was a bad idea, and he’s pulling away, face flushed and ashamed.</p><p>“Forgive me, I uh, I didn’t-” he stutters, scrambling for purchase. Ed looks shocked, and Oswald braces for it, for harsh words and scathing glances, possibly a punch to the face. Why couldn’t he have just left it alone? Anything would be better than-</p><p>He can’t finish the thought, because Ed’s lips are landing messily on his own, and he’s pulling him closer. Oswald lets out a surprised, muffled yelp, surprised because <em>Ed is kissing him. </em>Ed is kissing him and <em>Oswald isn't kissing him back</em>. He grasps the other man’s shoulders, careful of the bruising on his neck, and finally kisses him back, running his tongue over the seam of Ed’s lips and deepening the kiss.</p><p>And Ed is pulling him into his lap, and the scientist’s hands are in his hair, his tongue is wrapping around his own, and <em>this is real</em>. Oswald scrambles to get closer, closer, closer, connecting their bodies everywhere he can; chest to chest, hips to hips, groin to groin. Oswald’s arms wrapped around Ed’s shoulders and fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, one of Ed’s wrapped around his waist and the other fully buried in his hair. Legs tangled together, never knowing where one starts and the other begins.</p><p>If Oswald were to die right now, he’d die a happy man.</p><p>He pulls away, gasping for breath, and dips his head down, placing gentle kisses on the bruising on Ed’s throat because he can, because Ed is letting him without pushing him away.</p><p>“Oswald,” the man gasps out, hands clutching at his shoulders, groans as the said man licks a gentle path across his neck. Oswald wants him to make that sound forever.</p><p>The mayor of Gotham pulls his head up to suck and bite Ed’s earlobe, still trying to catch his breath, savoring the sound that comes from his chief of staff’s lips when he does it. And he’s come this far, and he suddenly can’t stop himself from whispering three painful but beautiful words, the ones that have been bouncing around inside him for so very long:</p><p>
  <em>“I love you”. </em>
</p><p>Ed’s breathing hitches, and maybe he should’ve just kept his mouth shut, but suddenly Oswald is being hauled down and the other man’s tongue is plunging into his mouth again, his warm hands burning through his clothes, through his skin, straight to his soul.</p><p>They pull apart again, gasping for air. Ed rests his forehead against Oswald’s, tangles their fingers together. His voice is rough when he speaks. “I cannot be bought, but I can be stolen with a glance.”</p><p>Oswald’s heart jumps when he recognizes the riddle. There’s no way…</p><p>Ed continues. “I’m worthless to one, but priceless to two. What am I?”</p><p>Oswald smiles, laughing with a joy he hasn’t felt in a long, long time. Ed giggles with him, breath puffing against his lips.</p><p>(He is so, so beautiful. Oswald burns the image of Edward laughing with kiss swollen lips and bright brown eyes glinting in the firelight into his brain forever).</p><p>“<em>Love</em>,” Oswald replies, before pulling Ed back to him, thanking whoever’s out there for the beauty that is Edward Nygma. For the chance to give his heart out freely and have someone else’s heart in return.</p><p>When he wakes up in the morning to Ed’s curly hair and bright eyes, fresh breakfast and kisses on the kitchen counters, Oswald knows he’s finally where he belongs.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Is this how people who actually want sex and intimacy make out? Kinda just pulled stuff out of my ass and hoped for the best. Still just a lonely, single asexual who doesn’t understand all this crap so forgive me for any weirdness. I love these boys. Let me know what you think, and please stay safe during these troubling times. And happy pride month (*waves ace flag furiously*)!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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